4,665Chapter 101: Scorpion Stung
"Oh, Gods, Sienna-!"
Raven glanced back, seeing Kali about to rush forward herself. Luckily Roman threw an arm in front of her before she could take a step.
"Hold up a sec, M'Lady," he said, eyes locked on the ship's interior. "Let Rae do her job."
Raven's eyes panned towards her daughters. Ruby and Yang seemed equally disturbed by the two Faunus's conditions, Ruby looking outright ill. Weiss had thrown a hand over her mouth in shock, while Blake could only stare at Sienna's bloodied and battered body in horror.
Raven turned back, stepping up next to Ghira. Sienna had walked a few paces from the ship, a limp in her step as she ducked a swipe from the bound scorpion Faunus. Raven spared him a glance before focusing on Sienna. "Miss Khan, is there anyone else on the ship?"
Sienna gave her a distrustful glower. Her eyes flicked from Raven's face to the guards around them, zeroing in on the logo scattered on their outfits. She quirked a brow in recognition. "Branwen Private Defense?" She sent Ghira a questioning look. "Hiring mercenaries now, Ghira? That's new."
Ghira, still perturbed by Sienna's condition, took a moment to regain his wits. It was quick, but he was still visibly concerned as he explained. "Raven is… something of a family friend now. And given everything that's happened recently, I wanted there to be security when you arrived. It was her people or Ironwood's. I knew which you'd prefer."
Sienna's eyes narrowed at the General's name. "I'd say that would be overkill, but…" She looked down at the struggling scorpion Faunus, who had finally given up screaming and instead was focusing fully on thrashing about. Sienna took a deep harsh breath, then looked at Raven, her face blank. "The only other ones aboard were the pilot and my bodyguard." She lowered her gaze. "They're gone."
Raven gave her a hard stare. Then she shot Shay a look, jerking her head sharply towards the Bullhead. Shay nodded, he and another clan member climbed onto the ship, rifles at the ready as half the other clan members lowered their weapons and started pacing the perimeter of the airfield. She turned back to Sienna, saying, "We have medics on standby if you want someone to look at your wounds."
Sienna's eyes narrowed further. "I'm fine. Just tired. My aura will heal me."
"Sienna…" Ghira said chidingly as he hovered over the White Fang leader, the shock in his voice shifting to concern. When Sienna just gave him a defiant glare, Ghira could only sigh. He gathered himself, straightened his posture, and his face became a mask of authority. "What happened?"
Sienna stood a little straighter herself, though winced as the hand against her side tightened. She reached into the neckline of her tattered dress, pulling out a folded piece of thick paper. "When I went to board the ship, he-" She glowered at the writhing scorpion. "-was waiting for me with this." She held it out to Ghira. "Read."
Ghira took the paper, gently unfolding it. Blood had soaked through at the folded corners, but the writing in the center had survived mostly untouched. "Sienna," he read aloud. "While we support your decision to confront Chief Ghira on his presumptuous actions regarding Taurus and his chapter of the Fang, we worry for your safety given the high Atlassian Military presence in Vale. It would ease our minds if you would take additional security with you. To that end, we have supplied an independent warrior who has worked for us in the past.
"Tyrian has extensive experience besting both Atlassian forces and Huntsman-level opponents. We have faith that having him at your back will help ensure a bright future for all of Faunuskind." Ghira's brows had drawn tighter the further he read, only to shoot high as he reached the end, looking to Sienna in alarm. "This is signed by Corsac and Fennec."
Sienna's eyes darkened, her irises slitting as a growl entered her voice. "I am aware." She scoffed scornfully to herself, her eyes returning to normal. "'Ensure a brighter future'. Tch! I've grown soft if I'm falling for lines like that."
"Whoa, hold up!" Raven fought back a groan at the voice calling from behind her. She, Ghira, and Sienna looked over to see Roman striding over, surprise and amusement in his eyes. She nearly facepalmed when Kali fell into step right behind him, the RWBYs following hesitantly, their curiosity outweighing their concern.
Sienna glared as Roman approached, only to blink as he breezed right past her and knelt next to her attacker. Roman grabbed the scorpion Faunus by the hair, lifting his head to meet his eyes. "Holy crap, I did hear that right." Roman cackled. "Hey, Tyrian, old buddy! Been a while, huh?"
Somehow, impossibly, the sight of Roman's face pushed the bound Tyrian to a new level of rage. He let out a roar behind his gag, his face purple in fury as he lashed out with his barbless tail. Roman ducked the blow, rolling out of reach and popping back to his feet with a laugh. "Nice try, King Sting! Oh, this is great." He glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, Rae! If any of your boys have cuffs, I'd get them on this bastard now. Trust me, ya don't want him getting loose."
Raven rose a brow but gave him a nod. She looked towards a few of her men, jerking her head towards the scorpion Faunus.
"Roman, you know this man?" Ghira asked, masking any irritation at the ex-con's demeanor as he watched three of Raven's men surround the Faunus, one of them grappling with his maimed tail while the others produced handcuffs from their belts, wrestling the struggling Faunus to the ground.
Roman grinned at the Chief as he rested Black Valentine in the crook of his arm. "Know him, worked with him, worked against him; He tried to kill me, I tried to kill him. Good times all around!" At Raven's annoyed glower, he rolled his eyes. "Ugh, fine. His name's Tyrian Callows. Professionally, he hires himself out as kind of a combat everyman. Security gigs, assassinations; anything, really, so long as it might end in a fight." Roman's smarmy grin fell a bit, a dark glint in his eyes as he stared down at the newly enraged Tyrian. "In reality, he's a psycho serial killer who just lives to cause pain. Any job he takes is just an excuse to put some poor S.O.B. in his crosshares to be his new torture toy. Even in the circles I ran in, he was a piece of work. Funny thing, though…" He looked over his shoulder.
Up to this point, Ozpin had silently observed Sienna's arrival with his usual air of aloof interest. But once Tyrian's name was uttered, the Headmaster's attention had been drawn solely to him, eyes narrowed at the bound man as he was shoved away from the group with freshly cuffed limbs, his tail lashing uselessly above him as he glared at the armed security watching his every move.
Seeing this, Roman grinned. "About four years ago, King Sting here up and vanished. I'd hoped someone'd finally offed him, put him out of our misery, but folks would say they saw him now and then. Word was he'd found himself a permanent employer, one he couldn't shut up about for how great she was. Even funnier, though: the last time I heard his name? Out of the mouth of a certain flamed-out Matchstick we know, bitching about how he wouldn't do what she wanted, would only listen to her boss."
Ozpin's gaze grew more severe, his eyes narrowing. "He works for Salem."
Tyrian's head jerked up at the name, his golden eyes blazing in defiance.
Roman gave a dark chuckle. "Oz, I'd bet real money on it."
"...interesting…" Ozpin hummed to himself.
"Oh, very," Roman agreed. Then he grinned at Sienna. "Which makes me oh so curious why this… 'Corsac' and 'Fennec', was it?... have him on speed dial."
Sienna gave him a mild glare. Ghira on the other hand, stared back at the note in his hand with building fury. "I'd very much like to know that myself," he growled. He relaxed slightly at the familiar touch of Kali's hand on his arm, though a glance showed her own rage warring with worry as she looked over Sienna's injured form. Ghira forced himself to calm, turning his eyes on his contemporary. "Sienna, what happened on that airship?"
Sienna looked up at him in surprise, her eyes darting briefly to Ozpin, Roman, and Raven. She drew herself up like she was about to argue… only to pause when her eyes fell on the girls at the back of the group.
Specifically, Weiss.
Weiss tensed under Sienna's gaze. Her eyes darted between Kali and Ghira, looking for guidance. The two merely gave her encouraging nods and warm smiles. Weiss could almost feel an extra burst of Confidence tickling the back of her mind. She swallowed down her nerves, squaring her shoulders and meeting Sienna's eyes head-on.
Sienna could only stare, her eyes flicking to Weiss's Mate's Mark. She then noticed the others, her gaze jumping between Ruby, Yang, and finally Blake. She looked Blake up and down, eyes widening in recognition. She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "You've got to be kidding me."
Blake bristled at the elder Faunus's tone. It held more annoyance than the anger she'd been expecting but vocalized Sienna's disdain perfectly well. She took Weiss's hand in response, her cat ears pinning back as she felt Ruby and Yang step up to flank them both.
"Something wrong, Sienna?" Kali asked. Her concern for Sienna's condition had been set aside, both the mother Faunus's eyes and voice gaining a hard edge despite her kind smile. "I know we told you about our daughter's relationship beforehand."
Sienna's head snapped to her, leveling Kali with an unimpressed look. "Honestly, I'd hoped you were joking. Kali, you cannot be okay with this."
Kali's eyes widened a tad. She drew herself up, her hackles raising-
"Is there something you find funny about our relationship?"
Both Kali and Sienna looked over at the intrusion. Blake met Sienna's gaze evenly. Ghira watched on silently, his brow raised slightly. He and Kali briefly met eyes, then turned their attention to their daughter.
Sienna looked between them expectantly. When neither jumped to their daughter's defense, she gave the girl her full attention, drawing herself to stand as straight as her injuries allowed. "Have something to say, child?"
Blake held Sienna's gaze for a moment, her eyes hard, then gave Sienna a formal bow. "I apologize for butting in, High Leader, but if you're going to call our relationship a joke, I'd appreciate it if you at least knew who you were mocking. As my mother said, I'm her and Chief Ghira's daughter, Blake Belladonna." She motioned to each of her Mates with her free hand. "This is Ruby Rose-"
"Hello," Ruby greeted, a bright-if-strained smile on her lips.
"Yang Xiao-Long-"
"Hi." Yang, on the other hand, didn't bother hiding her wariness, crossing her arms defensively as she placed herself a half-step closer to Sienna.
"And Weiss Schnee."
Weiss folded her hands in front of herself, giving Sienna a polite nod. "Ma'am."
Sienna's eyes narrowed further, her brow furrowing. She looked between the three humans, her eyes boring into their Mate's Marks, lingering longest on Weiss's. Her shoulders raised, her lip curling… only for her to slump with a harsh breath, the fight bleeding out of her as she clutched at her side. She rubbed her eyes in frustration. "I don't have the energy for this…" she muttered under her breath.
When she raised her eyes, all the anger in her stance was layered with exhaustion, opting instead to fix Blake with an unimpressed glower. "Just… how? With all the history I know you know, how can you justify this? With everything her father-" She pointed accusingly towards Weiss, her eyes never leaving Blake's. "-has done to our people, how can you justify taking a Schnee as a Mate?"
"Weiss is not her father," Blake stated bluntly, matching Sienna stare for stare. "And, respectfully, ma'am, I don't need to justify our relationship to you."
Sienna reared back, surprise overriding her animosity. Ghira shot Blake a concerned look. "Blake…" he chided softly.
"No, Ghira," Sienna held up her free hand, uncaring for the dried blood staining her skin. She looked Blake over, curiosity bleeding into the wariness in her eyes. "If the kitten wants to act like a queen, she can speak for herself."
She waited to ensure Ghira would remain silent. "Okay, Blake… you acknowledge me as High Leader of the White Fang, yet in your next breath claim I am owed no justification for what I see as a grave concern for my people's future. You think that I should just accept that the daughter of my Chief, the woman I may one day bend my knee to as the leader of my people, intends to lead them with three humans at her ear? Three humans with no concept of our culture, our laws, our traditions? One of which is the daughter of the man who has made our lives a living hell for over twenty years? I am not owed a single word of assurance that my people and their future are in good hands?"
Though Blake did her best to keep any reaction off her face, her twitching ears betrayed how Sienna's words dug at her, the tiger Faunus's tone gaining more of an edge as she went on. "You don't even know them." Despite her intention, her words sounded more hurt than defensive.
Sienna let out a mild scoff, shaking her head. "Kitten, that's not the point. Even if you have a proper justification for Mating these three, Schnee included, even if you could sit me down and convince me of it, which I severely doubt… you can't do that for every Faunus out there." She shot Ghira a significant look, making it clear she was speaking as much to him as she was to Blake. "Right now, we are going to have to fight tooth and claw to keep the remaining White Fang, and Menagerie as a whole unified. And if you return to the home island with you and a Schnee's soul intermingled…" Sienna pressed a hand over her eyes, taking a frustrated breath. "How did you even pull this off? How could a human even give you a Mark?"
"... with Adam's help."
Sienna's head jerked up, bafflement overtaking her features. She wasn't alone, Ghira, Kali, and the other adults looking to Blake with varying levels of confusion and concern. Her Mates, on the other hand, just gave her a surprised look, which quickly turned to sympathy and resignation, Ruby taking Blake's open hand and squeezing.
Seeing the three's reaction, Sienna's eyes narrowed. "What… is that supposed to mean?"
After a moment's hesitation, Blake slowly turned and lifted her head, showing both her throat and her Mark. Startled by Blake's act of deference, Sienna focused her gaze on her Mate's Mark. Her eyes narrowed briefly at the SDC snowflake proudly branded on the younger Faunus's skin but moved on to absorb the other details of the colorful symbols. Subject aside, nothing seemed too extraordinary about it, save-
Sienna's brow shot high.
Faint against Blake's skin, nearly invisible unless one knew what to look for, Sienna could see an imprint of what was once a bite mark, half-covered by her Mate's Mark. Not something usually of note, except… Sienna looked to the other three to confirm. Sure enough, the faint scars of their own bites were smaller, finer, than the larger ring surrounding Blake's Mark.
"He…" Sienna hesitated, her composure slipping. "He Marked you?"
Blake's throat bobbed, her jaw tensing. She lowered her head, trying to ignore the many eyes falling on her. "He made me think he loved me." She shrugged helplessly. "I thought I loved him. We exchanged Marks and… what I saw in his soul scared me so much I abandoned everything I'd ever known."
Sienna fell silent, her disbelief and frustration fading into something more subdued. She briefly met the eyes of Ruby, Yang, and lastly, Weiss, searching. "And… right into their arms," she said pointedly.
Rather than rise to the bait, Blake gave a soft, hesitant smile. "Yes. I met them and… we didn't click immediately-" She gently bumped shoulders with Weiss, forcing a small eye roll from the Schnee, tempered by her growing grin. "- but I think that just makes what we all have now more real. They were the ones who thought of repurposing Adam's Mark to make their own." She took a steadying breath. "Simply, ma'am… I tried taking a traditional Mate, and that relationship ended very badly for me. I'm much happier with the one I've found with these three."
Sienna raised a brow, noting the slight glow on each of the four's Marks… and how Yang, despite the content half-smile now on her lips, still had a look in her eye that promised violence should she feel Sienna overstepped. Visibly conflicted, a skeptical edge in her eyes as they darted from Blake to her human Mates, Sienna shifted her weight from one foot to the other, only to wince sharply, her hand moving from her side to her ribs. She shook her head. "I… we'll discuss this later." She took a slow breath. "Preferably when I have fewer broken ribs."
Blake shared a frown with Weiss at the dismissal, but a quick head shake from her mother held her tongue. Kali gave her daughter and her Mates a proud smile, motioning for them to move behind her. Yang was reluctant, watching in frustration as Sienna turned away from them to face Ghira, the blonde thwarted from saying her piece. A quick tug on her sleeve from Ruby made her back down, grumbling as she let Blake herd them to Kali's side. The mother Faunus chuckled under her breath at their disgruntled looks. "Girls, you did well. Believe me, that's the closest to a concession Sienna will ever show. Take the win while you can."
The RWBYs could only give her doubtful looks but acquiesced all the same. They bowed their heads together, starting a brief muttered conversation as Kali turned back to the others.
She was met with Sienna's annoyed backward glance. "I heard that."
"I know," Kali said simply with a grin. Her humor quickly faded as she got a closer look at the swelling overtaking the left side of Sienna's face, the tiger Faunus's eye squinting on its own accord. "Oh, Sienna…" She gently cupped the purpling skin, her thumb drawing across her cheek.
Sienna allowed the contact for a moment, then pulled back. "It looks worse than it is."
"I doubt that," Ghira rumbled, his hands clenching in his folded arms. "Sienna, how?"
A low grumble sounded at the back of Sienna's throat. Her eyes went again to Raven and Ozpin, standing by, then Roman and Glynda arguing quietly with each other but easily within earshot.
Kali let out an exasperated breath. "Sienna." She put a hand on the tiger Faunus's shoulder, her eyes pleading. "These people are only here because we asked them to be. If you won't trust them, then trust us. Please."
Sienna held her gaze, her jaw clenching. Her eyes darted to Ghira, seeing Kali's earnestness mirrored on his face. She looked down, letting out a sigh that quickly turned into a sardonic laugh. She rubbed her forehead with her free hand like she was fighting off a headache. "Bleeding hearts, the both of you. As always." She looked back up, shaking her head in defeat. "We left Mistral at six this morning. Tensions were… high, between me and my bodyguard, Tallie. She's been watching my back for four years and I've always encouraged her to speak her mind… and she was taking full advantage of that."
She lifted her head, meeting Ghira's eye with a severe look. "She thought that rather than speak to you, we should have been mounting a rescue for Adam and all the Faunus the SDC have captured. I argued that even associating with Adam was a bad idea, let alone fighting for him, but… she was adamant. Halfway across the sea, our argument had turned into something of a shouting match." Her face softened slightly. She looked back at the airship, everyone's eyes following her gaze. Inside the ship, they could see Shay kneeling over the body of a woman in White Fang garb, his expression pensive.
Sienna sighed deeply. "I didn't see Tyrian readying to attack… but she did. She'd just called me a coward when she shoved me to the side, and the strike Tyrian had aimed at my back went right through her chest instead."
"Oh, Sienna…" Kali murmured.
"She knew the risks of being my guard. Still… she deserved better." She took a shuddering breath, drawing herself up. "There are security cameras installed on the ship's interior. You'll have to watch them if you want to know exactly what happened. Once Tallie went down I threw myself at Tyrian and it was just… chaos. He managed to get Cerberus away from me, so I had to rely on my claws, but he had no problems using his damn arm blades."
Raven let out an impressed hum. "I'm impressed you managed to overpower him despite that."
Sienna sent a fiery glare her way. "Don't be. The bastard had me dead to rights. I'm only alive because he got distracted by…" She let out a low snarl as she glared down.
"Someone helped you?" Ozpin guessed, weathering her resulting dark look easily.
Ghira let out an exasperated breath. "Sienna."
Sienna shot him an annoyed look but answered nonetheless. "At some point, the pilot heard the commotion and came to investigate. Tyrian got him before the dumb kid could even draw his gun. He… I'd never met him before today." She looked to the side, looking frustrated. "I don't know his name."
She took a forceful breath and continued. "Tyrian had me on the ground in front of the cockpit. When the kid went down… I saw an opportunity."
Ghira's brow furrowed. "What opportunity?"
Before Sienna could answer, a voice sounded behind her.
"I think I can answer that, sir."
The other clan member stepped off the Bullhead, Shay right behind him. They both looked a little pale, giving Sienna a wary look. The first man turned to Raven. "I can confirm two dead Faunus aboard, a woman with a bovine tail and a deep stab wound through the chest, and a young man with small deer horns and a bullet in his forehead." He held up a data stick. "I also checked the ship's security footage."
"I'll take that," Goodwitch said from the side, walking through the gathering. After a confirming glance from Raven, the man handed over the data stick. Goodwitch plugged it into her tablet, pulling up the footage and quickly scanning through it.
"Check the timestamp around four Mistral Time," the man offered.
Goodwitch nodded an acknowledgment, dragging her finger across the time bar to the correct time. She watched for a moment, her eyes widening. She looked at Sienna, giving her an appraising look.
Sienna just sent a challenging glower back.
"Glynda?" Ozpin asked pleasantly. "Care to share with the class?"
Goodwitch sent the Headmaster an unimpressed glance. She tapped at her tablet, which began projecting video onto the side of the Bullhead.
They all watched the security footage begin to play from two perspectives, one from the cockpit and the other from the cabin. It wasn't the best quality and there was no sound, but it was clear enough for everyone to see the frustration on Sienna's face as she and presumably Tallie stood face-to-face between the short rows of seats. Though the other woman's back was to the camera, it was clear by her and Sienna's body language that their discussion was growing heated.
Behind Sienna, Tyrian sat on her right side, arms crossed as he watched the argument, a White Fang mask above his growing sick grin. As Tallie jabbed a finger against Sienna's chest, Tyrian slowly stood up, his scorpion tail uncoiling from around his waist. Tallie's head twitched slightly at the same moment Tyrian struck. Sienna's eyes went wide, her face shifting from annoyance to shock as Tallie shoved her to the side, Tyrian's tail just missing her, instead striking Tallie right below the throat, throwing her out of frame.
As they watched the woman go down, Kali gasped, reaching for Sienna's hand and gripping it tightly. Ghira put a hand on Sienna's opposite shoulder, his face grim. Sienna didn't acknowledge them, watching the recording solemnly.
At the back of the group, forgotten by the adults, Yang glanced away from the grisly footage at Kali's gasp. Her eyes widened at the three Faunus. She elbowed Blake to get her attention, nodding towards the trio at her surprised look. Blake followed her gaze, having to doubletake. She gave the blonde a bug-eyed look, to which Yang could only shrug.
"Good gods…"
Weiss's quiet curse drew Yang's attention back to the screen. She quickly understood the heiress's morbid awe, as well as Ruby's fascinated/perturbed look as they watched the proceding fight.
Sienna watched in horror as Tallie's body hit the floor, her eyes following the lightning-fast whip of Tyrian's tail as it retracted. Tyrian let out a laugh, a sick grin on his lips as he readied for another strike, and Sienna's shock turned to rage. She vaulted over the seats, Tyrian's tail sailing under her as she flew at his face, claws extended. Tyrian ducked the attack, letting Sienna pass over him. Sienna rolled with her landing, Cerberus Whip lashing out as she leaped to her feet.
Tyrian cackled as his tail slapped the blow away, Cerberus' chain wrapping itself around his tail. Tyrian grimaced slightly at the whip's hooks bit into the chitin but quickly regained his grin as he yanked his tail back, putting all his weight into the motion as he lifted his arm, the gun barrel nestled between his wrist-mounted blades glinting. Between the sudden yank and having to dodge the imminent shot, Cerberus Whip was yanked out of hand, flying off-screen as Sienna dived out of the line of fire.
Before Tyrian could approach, Sienna lept back over the rear seats, teeth bared and claws out. Tyrian's mad glee was broken as Sienna's claws bit into his shoulder with one hand and sliced across his face with the other, knocking off his White Fang mask and cutting into his cheek. With a snarl, Tyrian drew his arm back, steel flashing as wrist blades extended and sliced into Sienna's shoulder in kind.
The next few seconds were just a smear of motion blur as the low-res camera struggled to keep up with the action. Every few seconds the fighting Faunus would break apart, one throwing the other back, only for them to then collide in a melee of punches, blades, and claws. In these brief moments, more and more wounds appeared on the combatants, blood beginning to smear on the walls and windows as they threw each other against them. Each time the camera caught a glimpse of their faces, Sienna showed a fiercer snarl while Tyrian continued to cackle, relishing in the bloody exchange. The scrum ended when Tyrian lashed out with his tail while Sienna crouched at the Bullhead's rear. Sienna ducked the blow, only for the tail to pause mid-strike, instead wrapping around her neck. Sienna gasped as Tyrian pulled with his whole body, whipping Sienna past him to slam headfirst against the cockpit door, sliding bonelessly to the floor.
As Tyrian started slowly walking up to Sienna's prone form, tail swaying lazily behind him, the second camera showed the pilot jump at the sudden impact behind him. He quickly flipped a few switches at his controls, scrambling out of his chair. All the while, Tyrian drew closer, his mouth moving silently in the grainy footage.
"What was he saying, Sienna?" Ghira asked, shifting his gaze to the real Tyrian, who glared back murderously.
Sienna just kept her eyes on the video, her voice toneless as she spoke.
Sienna struggled for breath as she tried to push herself up, favoring one side as a stream of red trailed from the corner of her mouth. Blood dripped into her eyes as she lifted herself on her elbows, only to be slammed down to the Bullhead floor as a boot stamped on her sternum, Tyrian's tail once again coiling around her neck and squeezing.
Tyrian sneered down at her, madness gleaming in his eyes. "Y'know, I should thank you," he chuckled lowly. "I was kind of pissed I was sent to waste my time on some recruitment run. But despite all the bluster and claws, it turns out you're just the kind of bleeding heart we don't need. My Lady might be disappointed but I know she can find someone else to fill Taurus's role. Me, though…"
Sienna felt the icy press of steel above her forehead gem. Despite her vision growing dark around the edges as she struggled for breath, she saw Tyrian's sick grin widen as he rested his thumb against his gauntlet's trigger.
"You actually gave me a half-decent fight." He reached up with his free hand, wiping his thumb against the gash in his cheek, chuckling at the redness dyeing his skin. "Even made me bleed. I'm almost sad to miss out on such a sparring partner, but… Salem was clear. If you're not a help… you're a hindrance."
Sienna glared definitely as Tyrian's tail tightened around her neck, cutting off the last of her breath. The barrel of his gun dug into her forehead. Tyrian's smile widened, bloodlust dancing in his eyes.
"Goodbye."
This thumb tensed against the trigger-
The door to the cockpit slid open sideways.
"What the hell is going on-!"
Tyrian's head snapped up at the interruption, Sienna struggling against his hold to do the same. The pilot's green eyes widened behind his White Fang mask as he took in the scene.
A second passed as he and Tyrian stared at each other.
A second too long.
The pilot went for his weapon at the same moment Tyrian raised his arm away from Sienna's head. The revolver was only halfway raised when Tyrian's gun went off. A neat hole appeared in the pilot's mask, the windshield behind him painted red. Sienna let out a choked howl as the boy's body crumpled to the ground… and his gun landed right by her head.
Sienna's eyes blew wider. She thrashed wildly in Tyrian's hold, forcing her arm up and around his tail.
Tyrian grin turned more crazed as he looked at the corpse he'd just made. A deranged cackle sprung from his lips-
Click .
Tyrian froze. His head snapped down, just in time to see Sienna press the revolver against the underside of his tail, hammer cocked.
Tyrian brought both his guns to bear-
Sienna pulled the trigger, and Tyrian howled. The burn of Fire Dust licked at Sienna's face as the bullet tore through the chitin coiled around her neck, bathing both her hands and face in blood and gore. With a scream of pain and rage, Tyrian's tail spasmed as it yanked Sienna off the ground. She felt weightless for a moment as the grip around her neck lessened, only for another spasm to send her flying back into the cockpit, crashing against the console. The impact sent the revolver slipping out of her blood-drenched fingers, spinning across the floor to who-knows-where.
Sienna blinked the stars from her eyes, looking back into the cabin. Tyrian stood hunched over his damaged tail as it lay limp in his hands, twitching as blood poured from either side of the barb. All trace of amusement had fled Tyrian's face, replaced with a murderous snarl. His head snapped up, crazed eyes locking with Sienna.
Sienna looked frantically about the cockpit for the revolver or any other weapon she could use. Her eyes fell on something else first. Just as Tyrian threw both of his arms up, guns primed, Sienna lunged for Bullhead's controls, ripping the yoke back.
The Bullhead jolted as it pulled into a steep climb, its engine whining in strain. Tyrian's eyes blew panicked, his arms and tail flailing as the craft tilted back nearly 90 degrees as he was sent falling, crashing back-first against the rear wall of the cabin. He grit his teeth, attempting to get back his bearings when he heard an honest to gods roar.
Tyrian looked up to see Sienna flying down the center of the climbing Bullhead, rage on her screaming, blood-streaked face, her arms out and claws aimed right at his face. In that brief moment, staring down Sienna's enraged, wild eyes rapidly filling his vision, Tyrian's eyes blew wider in surprise… and just the tiniest flicker of fear.
At that same moment, Sienna's snarl turned viciously victorious, a pulse of red aura flashing from across her body, reflecting in Tyrian's eyes.
Sienna collided with Tyrian in a storm of teeth and claws, biting and slashing at any scrap of exposed skin she could find. Tyrian tried to fight back but seemed more focused on getting Sienna off him than landing any damage. Every time he managed to dislodge her claws from him, they'd find purchase as they tore into his shoulders, his back, his face, his chest…
"Gah! Get off, you-ugh! You bitch, I-gah! Get off me! Get OFF!"
With every new slash, the aura around Sienna grew denser and pulsed faster. Tyrian's eyes flashed darker red in tandem, his movements growing more frantic, his voice more panicked. His damaged tail lashed at her, its poisonous barb missing again as Sienna stayed close, the two Faunus tumbling and struggling against each other as the Bullhead started to tip back on its belly.
Suddenly, the Bullhead's squealing engine reached a new fever pitch, its ascent halting as the craft stalled out. The Bullhead fell to one side, the brawling Faunus rolling down the cabin's right side. They crashed against the front row of seats, Tyrian smashing against them on his chest, with Sienna landing on his back.
Tyrian elbowed Sienna off his back before she could continue her onslaught, eliciting a feral yowl from the tiger Faunus. The blow sent her sprawling towards the open cockpit door as the Bullhead turned vertical. Scrambling for purchase, Sienna grabbed the only thing within reach:
Tyrian's tail.
Tyrian screamed, both in pain and disbelief as Sienna dangled from his tail into the cockpit, her feet just shy of kicking the console. Sienna's claws bit into the brittle chitin, feeling the muscle beneath tense and ripple as Tyrian tried to throw her off. Sienna glanced down from her precarious position, seeing the rapidly approaching ocean surface through the blood-splattered windscreen. She looked back up, seeing Tyrian glaring down at her as he clutched at the front seat to keep from falling.
His glare quickly turned to a mad grin as his eyes faded back to normal, the Bullhead starting to pick up speed. The weightless feeling returned, the diving craft threatening to send them flying towards the back again. Only this time, Tyrian was ready for it, readying one of his blades as Sienna started to fall towards him, his retracting tail increasing her speed.
But Sienna was prepared too. In her glance towards Tyrian, she'd spied something else: the cockpit door control.
Which, with a yank of Tyrian's tail and an acrobatic stretch, her foot caught mid-fall. The door slammed shut, stopping her fall… and trapping Tyrian's tail.
Standing on the now horizontal door, Sienna could see Tyrian flail and scream obscenities through the narrow gap, the last four feet of his trapped tail the only thing keeping him from hurtling towards the back.
Not that she cared.
Before Tyrian could even think about retaliation, Sienna planted her foot against the trapped appendage, grappling with the thrashing tail. She dug her claws into both sides of the tail's bullet wound, pulling it taunt. Ignoring Tyrian's confused cry, Sienna bit into the flesh just below the barb, her teeth crunching through the brittle chitin. With a forceful yell, she ripped her head up while tearing her claws down.
Tyrian screamed.
Sienna eased her foot off the door controls just enough for it to briefly slide open a hair, just enough for what was left of Tyrian's tail to slip through before slamming shut. She listened to his muffled shriek fade back, cutting off abruptly with a meaty thunk! She spat out the disembodied barb, her lips pulling back in a triumphant bloody grin.
Before she could celebrate, an alarm blared from the cockpit console. The already yellow warnings on its screens blazed red, the words " LOW ALTITUDE " flashing across most of them. Sienna's head snapped to the windscreen, seeing the approaching ocean waves. Panic building in her, she quickly climbed the cockpit wall, fighting against the craft's increasing speed. She forced herself into the pilot's seat, easing the throttle down to idle and grabbing the yoke, pulling back hard. The Bullhead shuddered, its engine winding down as Sienna felt the craft start to tip up out of its dive. She grit her teeth as her vision began to darken around the edges, but held the yoke steady. Slowly, the Bullhead pulled further and further up, until the warnings started to disperse one by one, the horizon reappearing through the grimy windscreen.
Sienna started flipping switches on the console, not relaxing until all the warnings were gone and the words " AUTOPILOT ENGAGED " appeared on the screen in front of her. She let out a slow breath of relief, leaning back and closing her eyes for a moment. When they reopened, her eyes were slitted and hard. She got up from the chair, pausing only briefly as she noticed the pilot's body, the Bullhead's tumbling having deposited it in the corner behind the co-pilot's chair. Her claws bit into her palms as she opened the door to the cabin.
Tyrian lay in a crumpled heap at the back of the cabin. Her hope the impact had killed him died when the man gave a shuddering cough, his body shaking as he started to push himself up. A growl built in the back of Sienna's throat. She took a step forward, only to hear the familiar clink of chains underfoot. There, strewn about across the front of the cabin, half in the lap of Tallie's limp body, was Cerberus Whip.
Tyrian was shaking his head, trying to get his bearings. He had just raised himself shakily to one knee when he heard the rapid footsteps behind him. Before he could react, a sudden weight landed on his back as thick chain-link wrapped around his neck.
Sienna pulled with all her might as Tyrian tried to throw her off. He clutched at the chain with both hands, stumbling to his feet and lashing out however he could, slamming himself against the cabin walls trying to crush the tiger Faunus, slam her head into them, something. But Sienna held firm, her knees digging into Tyrian's back as she tightened her grip on Cerberus Whip, snarling all the while. She pulled and pulled, Tyrian's face turning blue as his tail flailed behind him, smacking Sienna hard enough to burst her bottom lip. His guns may have fired a few times, but Sienna took no notice. She ducked as many blows as she could while still holding tight, unwilling to let the damaged tail find her neck again.
Finally, with a breathless wheeze, Tyrian fell to his knees. His hand scratched uselessly at the chain before his fingers slowly released their grip, his eyes rolling back into his head. He fell forward, his tail falling limp at his side.
A dark look crossed Sienna's face for a moment, her tight grip on Cerberus Whip unrelenting. Then, with an enraged snarl, she let the chain fall. Tyrian sucked in a single desperate breath, his head barely rising from the floor before Sienna's fist slammed into the base of his skull.
"...remind me to never piss you off."
"Roman." Raven shot the ex-con a sharp look. "Zip."
Roman rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up half-heartedly. He still shot Sienna an impressed grin. "Seriously, though, you've got surprising restraint. Someone tried offing me like that… I'd 'a killed 'em."
Sienna glanced Roman's way, the others glued to the screen as they watched her tear strips from her tattered dress to bind Tyrian's wrists and ankles. "I wanted to," she admitted freely. "He killed two of my people and tried to kill me. I want him in the ground." She took a deep breath through her nose. "But then I won't know who else may want me dead… or who this 'Salem' is."
"I may be able to answer those questions for you, Miss Khan," Ozpin spoke up. "Though I thank you for your restraint. Mr. Callows may have more information to provide than you may realize."
Sienna rose a skeptical brow at Ozpin. Her eyes narrowed at Tyrian seething on the ground, the scorpion finally ceasing his struggle to escape, opting to glare a hole through them all. Sienna tsked!. "Just so long as I can question him myself."
"Of course," Ozpin agreed. "Though, I'm afraid I must ask that any questioning happen at a later date. The hour grows late and, if you'd forgive me, I'd feel better if you had your injuries properly treated. Beacon's infirmary is at your disposal, and we can provide guest quarters for you to recuperate in the interim."
Sienna looked ready to protest, but twin stern looks from Ghira and Kali bled away her hostility. "I… thank you for your hospitality, Headmaster," she accepted stiffly. Her eyes drifted back to the Bullhead, her shoulders tensing as she watched a pair of security, medic patches on their jacket's shoulders, carry the pilot's body out of the cockpit to lay beside Tallie in the cabin. "What's going to happen to my people?" she asked accusingly.
Ozpin merely gave a small sympathetic smile. "Beacon has an onsite morgue to assist in the teaching of our more medically minded students. If you wish, we can store their remains there, where they will remain safe and untouched until you've decided how to handle their last rites."
Sienna's ears twitched up a bit, her face clearing in surprise. She gave a small nod. "Thank you," she said again, her voice softer. She then glared as she watched Raven make a motion, two security guards pulling Tyrian to his feet while three more pointed guns at his back, Raven drawing her blade to back them up. "And him? Since I doubt you have a jail onsight, I can only assume…" Her golden eyes drifted off to the cityscape taking up the horizon, up to the Atlassian cruisers hovering in the night sky.
Ozpin followed her gaze. "You would be correct. And frankly, given what I've just seen and Mr. Callow's reputation, I fear nothing short of Atlassian custody will hold him. I'll contact General Ironwood once you've been situated."
The General's name brought a sneer to Sienna's lips. "Only after I'm gone?" she asked challengingly.
Ozpin just smiled wider, raising a brow. "Unless you'd want to speak to the General tonight?"
Sienna's brow shot high. A long moment passed as the Headmaster and High Leader held each other's stares. Then Sienna blinked, her ears twitching as a shudder passed through her. She gave Ozpin a curious, almost cautious look, then clicked her tongue, turning to Ghira. "Which way to this infirmary?"
Ghira gave her a relieved smile. "I'll show you." He nodded to Ozpin, giving Tyrian a last dark look, then motioned for Sienna to follow him up the path. Sienna fell into step with him, giving Blake a final look as she passed.
Kali let out a beleaguered sigh. "I should follow them before Sienna starts interrogating Ghira." She smiled at the RWBYs, "Have a good rest of your night, girls." She pressed her forehead to Blake's briefly, a quiet purr at the back of her throat. "I'm proud of you, kitten."
Blake smiled back, trilling in response. "Thanks, Mom."
Kali made sure to give Ruby, Weiss, and Yang a pat on either their head or shoulder, before hurrying off to catch up with Ghira and Sienna's brisk pace.
"Hey, Oz!" Roman's voice cut through the briefly calm airfield. The Huntsman-turned-criminal-turned-Huntsman had Black Valentine's barrel aimed right at Tyrian's head, the two trying to out-glare the other. "I'd get Ironwood on the horn pronto. Potential info or not, I ain't taking any chances. King Sting here so much as twitches, I'm blowing his damn head off."
Ozpin huffed sharply, his eyes flashing as his smile nearly dropped. "Crude, Roman… but I see your point." Ozpin motioned for Goodwitch to move to his side, pulling out his scroll.
"I think that's our cue to leave, guys," Ruby whispered, her eyes never leaving Tyrian.
Yang breathed out a laugh. "No complaints from me, Rubes. I was already beat. This mess didn't help."
"I'm glad you can make jokes, Yang," Wiess said shakily, taking the first steps to leave the airfield, the others following. "That… that woman is terrifying. I've never seen someone fight like that."
"Well…" Blake hummed to herself, watching as Sienna and her parents disappeared around the stone wall surrounding the airfield. "She became High Leader for a reason. But… yeah, that was… different."
"I dunno," Yang mused, folding her hands behind her head as they walked. "She's brutal, but… also kinda awesome? I mean, she lost her weapon immediately and still messed that guy up."
"I wonder if she'd be willing to spar later," Ruby asked aloud, putting a finger to her chin.
"Ruby," Blake admonished. "She's High Leader of the White Fang and trying to stop a civil war from breaking out. She probably won't have time to spar."
"Why would you want to, anyway?" Weiss asked, perplexed.
"I want to see how that whip works!"
The three let out soft groans, flashing each other knowing looks. "We shoulda seen that one coming," Yang chuckled.
"What?" Ruby looked between them all, pouting. "She barely got to use it in that fight, and I couldn't make any details out about it. I mean, the chain is so thick but she whipped it so easily, so it can't be regular steel. And those prongs on the end didn't look serrated, so how did-"
Yang tuned out Ruby as her little sister started ranting and theorizing about Sienna's weapon, grinning as the girl started to work herself up. Before the four stepped out of the airfield, Yang looked back towards the Bullhead. She met Raven's eyes, watching them go as she kept Omen at Tyrian's neck. Raven glanced briefly from Yang to Ruby, giving the blonde a hesitant, questioning look. Yang blinked in surprise, then her grin faded to a soft half-smile. She nodded.
Raven's lips twitched up, nodding in turn.
"-and its so long, she must have developed her own fighting style to compensate for rapid momentum shifts when-"
Bzzt.
The buzz of Weiss's scroll broke the spell Ruby's gushing had cast over her and Blake. She frowned as she pulled it out. "Who would be calling me at..." She groaned at the name flashing on its screen as she opened it. "Oh, what happened now?" She put it to her ear. "Jaune-"
Blake, Yang, and Ruby shared surprised looks.
"-why are you calling me this late? We just got back from our date."
"Well, good! That's what I was hoping to hear."
Weiss's frown turned confused. Jaune sounded… surprisingly chipper. "And why's that?"
"First, quick question: were you expecting your brother to show up tonight?"
Weiss stopped dead. Her face paled, much to the concern of her team. Not that they were much better, looking stunned by the question. "W-What?"
Yang fought back a wince, rubbing the side of her head. "More crap tonight?" she muttered under her breath, looking skyward. "Really?"
Jaune sighed heavily on the other. "Yeah, I didn't figure you were. You guys are gonna want to get up here soon."
"W… Whitley's here?" Weiss stammered out, her growing Panic and Fear prompting Blake and Ruby to sidle next to her, pressing close.
"Yeah. And Zwei's got him cornered in our bathroom."
"...what."
Betaed by Covert Weapon
A/n: …I'm starting to reach "Frieza's Five Minutes" levels with how long this night's taking to end.
Thankfully, our girls should get some sleep after the next chapter… assuming dealing with Whitley lets them have a good night's sleep.
Not much I can think to say here, except I hope you liked the Sienna/Tyrian fight. I was inspired a bit by the story of FedEx flight 705, where two crew members had to fight a hijacker while the pilot did some crazy maneuvers to try and keep the fight in the crew's favor. It's a crazy story to have happened in real life, and ever since I always wondered how something like that would work in a fictional setting between trained weapon-wielding warriors. So… there you go. I also adjusted Sienna's Semblance a bit, in case anyone was wondering. You'll get the full details of it later.
I've got a decent head start on the next chapter, so let's hope I can find some momentum and keep pumping'em out.
See ya in the next one!